The Ashes: Jofra Archer can flatten Australia with chin music – and kill them softly with words
JOFRA ARCHER can flatten them with his chin music, then kill them softly with his words.
England’s new strike-bowling sensation has already proved himself in the heat of Ashes battle by concussing Aussie run machine Steve Smith at Lord’s then seizing a six-wicket haul at Headingley.
But after Ben Stokes propelled England to a miraculous one-wicket victory in Leeds on Sunday, Archer has now proved he can play a leading role in the war of words, too.
On a rest day at his home ground of Hove, 24-year-old Archer can be seen zipping around on his electric scooter then heard delivering some barbs at the Australians in his languid Caribbean tone.
After laughing at the “terrible” Aussie sledging and accusing them of panicking during Stokes’ extraordinary 76-run final-wicket partnership with Jack Leach, Archer spelt out how Tim Paine’s men will be forced to change their gameplan in next week’s Fourth Test at Old Trafford.
Archer said: “In the upcoming games they will think twice.
“I don’t think they will declare now. I don’t think they will be too attacking.
“If they draw the series they will still retain The Ashes so let’s see. Their play might be a bit different.
“We might actually get them out for 67 — who knows? But I think our boys are in a good space.
“The Aussies were in the field a long time. They got the second new ball and still couldn’t bowl us out. So all of those mental facts should sit with them next game.
“I actually felt for them, seeing any bowler getting to 25 overs is taxing.
“A lot of their boys are more bustly than us, longer run-ups, a bit bigger, so I can only imagine what they went through afterwards.
“We kept it alive, and hopefully we can win the next one, because I think they’ll be happy if the rest of the games are drawn.
“So let’s just give them one last upset — we upset them in the World Cup, let’s do it again.”
England’s great nemesis Smith will be back in Manchester when the Fourth Test starts on Wednesday after he was forced out of the second innings at Lord’s and all of the Leeds Test having been struck on the neck by a brutal Archer bouncer.
Asked whether he was looking forward to bowling to Smith again, Archer added: “Yes, why wouldn’t I be?”
On hearing Smith has tried to downplay his influence by pointing out he has yet to get him out, Archer said: “I cannot get him out if he wasn’t there!
“I did want to bowl at him when he came back out (in the first innings at Lord’s) but he was out before I got back on.
“But there’ll be more than ample time to get him out.
“I’m not saying I’ll get him but if we don’t get him out there’s ten other people we can get out and if he’s stranded on 40 that’s not helping his team too much.
“We all know he’s a world-class batter and has the right temperament for Test cricket but he can’t do it all himself.
“I’m not here to get caught up in a contest with one man. I want to win The Ashes.”
Archer and Smith have been team-mates with Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League but the England bowler says there is no time for pleasantries during an Ashes.
He added: “I’ve seen him around. But you’re not going to pull up a chair and have a deep conversation are you?”
Sussex ace Archer admitted he feared he had lost the series when he was caught on the boundary for 15, after a series of big hits, with England still 73 short of victory.
He said: “I thought I’d messed the series up, not just the game. So I was very relieved that we are still alive and fighting.
“Your coach always tells you, ‘Don’t leave it for anyone else.’
“We’ve all seen enough cricket to know how hard it is to score 73 to win with just one wicket left against this Australian bowling attack . . . we were very grateful to be on the winning side.”
Archer revealed nerves and superstition gripped the dressing room as Stokes and Leach staged their heroics.
He added: “When Nathan Lyon fumbled the run-out with two needed for victory, you could hear every heartbeat in the dressing room.
“There were so many emotions flying around. We believed we should keep sitting in the same spot we’d watched the whole game in.
“I couldn’t look out through the window. I was inside watching on TV with Joe Denly and Jason Roy.
“I went out to the window and someone said, ‘Get back, get back!’ I was like, ‘OK, as you were.’”
In his rookie international season, Archer had already played a starring role in a thrilling World Cup final win over New Zealand but claims Headingley felt “more impossible”.
He said: “Ben gave us a second life. Everyone would like to win the World Cup and The Ashes so there’s no reason why we shouldn’t do it now.”
Archer, who insists he is fit after going off with cramp on day three, is relishing the intensity.
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He said: “It’s even a bit more than it’s cracked up to be now I’m in the middle of it.
“I didn’t receive many bouncers at county level, they know I can give it back. They all want to hit me on the knee.
“At Lord’s the first ball was short, and the second, third, fourth and fifth. It shows how competitive it is.”
- JOFRA ARCHER was speaking ahead of the Fourth Specsavers Ashes Test Match. Specsavers are the Official Test Partner of the England cricket team.